The question of “Who run the world?” was answered loud and clear at The Turf Club on Thursday night. Girls. We run this mutha… okay, that’s as deep as my Beyonce references go but, really, Thursday night was a clear showing of the power of females throughout the local scene and I was so honored to be able to witness it all happen.
Red Eye Ruby was the first act of the four band show. Although I just saw Red Eye Ruby about a month ago, I was so thrilled to be able to catch them again. Even though I knew what I was going to get from this powerful local band, I was filled with anticipation as the four piece took the stage and jumped into their set. Just like the first time I saw them, I was instantly captivated by vocalist Ruby Blu. Her smoky vocals are truly top notch and her personality on stage is just the icing on the cake. I feel like it was pretty much the same set that I got from them last month which was to be expected being that it has only been such a short time but there was a sense of power from the band that I didn’t quite get the first time I saw them. This came to fruition during the last song when Ruby Blu put her guitar down and finished the set with just her vocals being backed by her amazing band. Although it only lasted for a couple of minutes, those few minutes where she brought a sense of ferocity and undeniable passion to the set was absolutely a highlight of their set for me and a highlight of the night in general.
Following Red Eye Ruby was Space Hug– a band whose name has been whispered into my ear by a couple of friends more than once. I wasn’t sure what I was going to get from this band but as soon as they jumped into their set, I was into it. Whereas Red Eye Ruby’s set seemed to focus on soul, Space Hug focused more on the dance aspect of music which made for a super fun transition and new flavor for the night. There was something quirky about their sound and performance that I could not get enough of. Most of this quirkiness came from this electronic saxophone thing being played that instantly reminded me of Tenacious D’s “Sax-A-Boom” but that’s beyond the point. There was just something so fresh and fun about not only their set, but also their music. I will say I was a bit surprised that their set seemed to consist mostly of covers. The covers were great especially their rendition of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, but I really wanted to hear more original music from Space Hug as that’s what drew me into their set initially.
What happened next absolutely caught me off guard in the best way. Before I jump into attempting to describe Elour’s set, I have to share a funny story. After the show I met up with one of my oldest best friends and she had asked me what show I had just come from. She and her husband than informed me that I knew damn well who ELOUR was even though I was convinced I had no clue. Elour is Elizabeth Ghandour’s performance name. Long story short, Elizabeth used to play at this rink dink bar that said friend and I worked concerts at. I wish I had put this all together prior to seeing Elour’s set on Thursday but also liked not having any preconceived thoughts about her set because…
I was instantly blown away. With an almost riot grrrl attitude and a classically trained voice that hit some of the most epic screeches and screams that any classical vocal teacher would probably cringe at, I instantly felt draw to Elour, her band, and her sound. There was something almost retro about the overall vibe of Elour’s set but it didn’t feel dated or like a recycled sound. It’s actually super hard for me to compare their sound to any one act in particular as it was all over the place. The band was great but absolutely let Elour steal the show with her rebellious attitude and powerful voice. Looking back on the set, I find myself a bit lost for words. I don’t know if it’s the shock I am feeling now realizing just who this woman is and how much she has changed and really come into her own or more just the overall talent I witnessed on stage. Regardless, Elour’s set left me speechless in all of the right ways.
Closing out the night was an act I had been wanting to catch for a long time– JoJo Green. I honestly had never heard any of JoJo Green’s music but the photos I had seen of this band and the things I had heard about their live performances had me intrigued so I was beyond excited that they were closing out the already amazing Thursday night show. With a unique blend of everything from jazz to Americana to funk to soul to pop (I could keep going if you want me to), I instantly fell head over heels for the sound of this group. It truly was all over the place yet somehow came together to create a cohesive and flawless sound. That speaks volumes to the talent that is in this entire band but it was vocalist Sharisse Germain that really stole the show. Her voice has so many elements to it. There were times where it felt smoky and jazzy but others where it had very pop-leaning tendencies and was worthy of an operatic solo.
Much like the night overall, JoJo Green’s sound was all over the place stylistically but that was just another reason the night was so special. Not only was it great to see so many female-fronted acts in one night, it was awesome to see the range of sounds and styles that each of these acts brought to the stage. I met multiple people throughout the night. It was all weird happenstances as to how I met those people but I loved that we all had the same thing in common– a love for local music and a love for good music. I really can’t find quite the right words to describe Thursday night as a whole but it was truly one of the best nights I’ve had out in a very very long time with one of the best soundtracks I could have ever asked for.
Line Up:
Venue: Turf Club
Smell-O-Meter: Nothing
Average Age of the Crowd: 35
Crowd Surfers- None
Stage Divers- None
Dance-ability- 6 out of 10
Sausage-Fest Meter- 3 out of 10
Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0
Broken Bones- None
Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing
Fights- None Witnessed
Pukers- 0
Randomly Shirtless Men – 0
Passed Out Kids- 0
Idiots Taken Out By Security – None Spotted
How Irritated I Was With The Audience – 0 out of 10
How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-
Red Eye Ruby – 1
Space Hug – 0
Elour – 0
JoJo Green – 0
Celebrity Sightings – Dante of Space Monkey Mafia; Ann of Mostly MN Music
Overall Score- 9.4 out of 10
Show on Deck —Everclear / Lit / Marcy Playground
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